How we made it
by Lady Athena of Olymp
Summary: Plays after s.2. Exhausted, the Huntik team tries to live life. A break is really needed. But a long forgotten evil force shows up again, ready to bring sorrow to the world. The team is forced to fight and save the world once again. But will there be time, to show the feelings, that were held back for so long? ZHANTE! Also Lophie, but mainly Zhante.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's note:**

 **Hey guys! This is my very first ff here, well actually the first I've ever written. I'm new here and still inexperienced, but I love literature and this site is amazing, so I started something new. I'm not a native English speaker, so I highly appreciate reviews with corrections of mistakes. Please tell me whenever I made mistakes, so that I can learn and (hopefully) improve! Also, the first chapter isn't really that interesting, because I needed a start and time to explain everything...But I promise, that the following chapters will be better!**

 **Well, that's it. Have fun reading and enjoy it!**

\- **Lady Athena of Olymp**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Huntik: Secrets and Seekers nor the characters. But I own my OC's and the plot.**

 **Chapter 1: Bad news**

 **Venice, Italy**

 **7:30 PM**

 _This weather sucks! Since almost three weeks it hasn't stopped raining once. It's like the earth is longing for it..._ Zhalia thought, clearly displeased by her dripping wet clothes and her hair looking messy. She was on the way to Dante's house. It was late and she wondered what a 'private emergency meeting' exactly would be. She guessed it meant discussing some important matters, but still, it was very unusual for him, wanting to talk with her under four eyes. It made her feel uneasy, because when Dante wants to talk with her alone, it won't mean anything good. At the same time she felt grateful for the little timeout from the teens. Not that she disliked them, but a bit of time alone with him would maybe manage to ease her overstressed nerves. Only a couple of weeks ago she found herself fighting for her life and the ones of her friends, and against the betrayer. Time has passed rapidly and the memories from back then were still hunting her, especially the one of Dante's death. She was mad at him for making her thinking that he'd never come back. But of course, she'd never told him.

After fifteen minutes of walking through the empty streets of Venice, she finally reached her destination. She knocked twice and waited 'till the door opened. Dante stood under the doorframe in his usual attire, amusement clearly visible on his face. „Zhalia! Good to see you! Uhm, come in.", he said, stifling a laugh that dared to escape his lips. Zhalia, aware of his amusement, just glared at him and walked through the door. A familiar sight greeted her as she entered and she was thankful for the warmth that engulfed her. Not that she'd ever admit it, but she was slightly cold. She took place on the couch, one slender leg placed over the other one.

"Coffee?" Dante simply asked, as he brought her his coat to warm herself.

"Yes." she answered. She looked up at him, her usual emotionless face showing nothing. But she let her eyes form the question before her mouth did. "So, what did you want to talk to me about?" She made sure that her suspicion could be fully heard. It was only a couple of weeks after their fight against the betrayer and all of them were still mentally exhausted. With him being away in the council, didn't make things easier. She was never one to complain, but all the time alone with the teens, without any support of another adult, didn't quite help her being less exhausted.

He turned around, a serious expression lying on his face. "I'll tell you right after I finished the coffee." He knew that he should've been more often in Venice, but as a member of the council, he just hadn't the time for it. He also knew, that this wasn't an excuse. No wonder she came straight to the point.

Some minutes later, he came out of the kitchen with two cups filled with hot coffee. He gave one to Zhalia and sat next to her. He took a sip and watched her for a moment. He didn't miss how her shoulders were forced backwards, her back was straightened, her whole figure tense. She held her cup with both hands, as if it was the only thing she could hold on to, her lips pursed into a thin line, her eyes holding nothing than pure coldness. He instantly became worried, but knowing her, asking would probably make everything worse. "So…you most likely want to hear what I made you come for, don't you?" Though he knew this question was unnecessary, he still asked, because he couldn't find another way to begin with this whole discussion. She simply shot him a questioningly look, demanding him to go on. "Well…" he started "There are some bad news. The council has discovered movements of a yet unknown evil source." He stated, his face even more serious now.

She narrowed her eyes. These were indeed bad news. "Even more evil than the betrayer?" she asked, hoping for a no.

"As for now, we assume that this force is equally powerful. But we don't have any proof yet. The worst part is yet to come. Metz thinks he might knows this force and if he's right, then we got some serious trouble…"

"What is that supposed to mean?" Zhalia was really confused now. Dante spoke in riddles and she hated that. She has always been a person who gets straight to the point.

"Many centuries ago, there lived a beautiful women called Annabelle Josephine du Pont. As her name already tells, she was a French noblewoman and lived in Paris. With the age of sixteen she married a three years older man, whom she fell madly in love with. He could've called himself lucky, because no man ever won Annabelle's heart. She was a warm-hearted person; with a beauty many women could only dream of, but her father watched over her like an eagle and gave her only the best of the best. Thus she hadn't much experience with men. When she married she was happy, even more so when her first child was born. But she was a noblewoman after all and therefore needed to bring forth a son. What came out was a daughter, Crystelle Amelia du Pont. Her mother loved her, but the poor girl died within two days. Then Annabelle found out that is was her own husband who killed her daughter. Blind with rage, she avenged her daughter, killing her husband. After that incident, she was never the same as before. She lost the will to live and thus only existed. It's said that she was punished for killing a human and therefore was cursed. Since then she lived in a cave, away from all people, crying over the loss of her beloved daughter. Legend has it, that she would reawaken when the death of her daughter marks the seven hundredth time and then she will bring destruction to the world, as she did seven hundred years ago." Dante told her, not believing his own words. If that legend is to be trusted, the world will face a period of grief and sorrow. And the Huntik foundation would be forced to face another hardship."

Zhalia kept looking at him, with each minute passing growing more and more worried. They haven't really recovered from their last fight and now destiny brings another villain. "You can't be serious, right?" she questioned him, even if she already knew the answer. Dante barley shook his head.

"That's why I wanted you to come here. I needed someone with a cool head. If I'd tell that Lok, now of all times, when he searches for Ethan, I'd most likely shattered his hope into tiny pieces…" Dante explained, sadness slowly filling his amber orbs.

"Yeah, I know. What date is the death of that baby?" Zhalia asked, trying to change the subject. Sadly, this one wasn't any better than the former.

"We don't know yet. Probably this winter, but there is nothing near an answer…" he stated.

They looked at each other, trying to enlighten the bad mood somehow. She wasn't sure, what she should be thinking. She should be angry, but she felt nothing but emptiness. He then suddenly turned his head towards her and looked her deep in the eyes.

"Are you hungry? I could cook something for the two of us." He asked.

She nodded, a slight smile gracing her features. The uneasy feeling didn't vanish completely, but she decided not to pay it any more attention and just enjoy the evening, well, at least as much as she could enjoy it. She looked up to see Dante standing in the kitchen and preparing dinner. Her smile grew wider. How long has it been, since they last had a moment alone?

He turned around, just to see her smiling lightly. He returned the smile and his amber eyes where shining with gratefulness. Finally a moment to breath and to let all worries be buried.

It was then, that the first glimpse of light could be seen in the hazel and amber orbs, that were expectantly starring at each other.

 _To be continued…_

 **So that was the first chapter. Did you like it? Please write reviews and say what I should do better and if you liked it. I try to update as soon as possible, that is, if you even want me to update... :)**


	2. Chapter 2

**Author' Note:**

 **Guys! I'm so, so happy! Thanks for all the nice reviews and the encouraging! I'll really try my best and try to follow the advice of you all! Here's chapter two and I hope you like it as well...! That's kinda everything I have to say...**

 **Enjoy it and please review! :)**

 **\- Lady Athena of Olymp**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Huntik: Secrets & Seekers nor the characters. But I own my OC's and the plot.**

* * *

 **Chapter 2: Can someone tell me why?**

 **Venice, Italy**

 **9:00 PM**

It was a cool night, wind blowing through the trees, leaving a whistle. The moon stood high in the sky, illuminating Venice and the few people outside. It was still, most households already went to sleep, except of one.

In the house of Dante Vale was still burning light. The smell of fresh baked bread could've been sensed from the kitchen and a tall man was standing there, preparing tomatoes, which were later put on the bred and then in the oven. **(** **A/N: I'm half Italian...)** Nothing could be heard, except of a woman's sighing...

Zhalia made herself comfortable on the couch and thought about the next day. But she hadn't much time, because she was interrupted by a plate full of delicious looking bread slices, that were placed in front of her.

"I hope you're hungry." Dante said and smiled.

She looked up and returned a little smile, while taking a slice of the bread.

They sat there, simply enjoying the moment.

A few minutes passed and Zhalia finished her first slice. She averted her eyes from him and mumbled "You're a good cook..."

A victorious glance could be seen in Dante's eyes.

 **\- Half an hour later**

After Dante has made dinner for himself and Zhalia, the two of them decided, that they'll use the remaining time to talk about less depressing themes. Tomorrow will be a tough day, because he needed to fly to New York and discuss this matter with the council, and Zhalia had the wonderful task to tell this the whole team. This was going to be fun, especially when telling Lok.

 _I just don't get it,_ Zhalia thought, _What have we done to deserve this? First the professor, then the betrayer and now some crazy witch that wants revenge?! This is not fair. How am I going to tell Lok, that now of all times, we can't continue his search for his father, because a new enemy arises?_ She sighed.

Dante had been watching her for a while now. It didn't take him long to realise just how stressed she was. Despite her tense figure, he could see the worry she displayed in her eyes. She never let anyone see her emotions. They were kept hidden behind the mask of a strong, fearless woman. Save, so no one could hurt her ever again. But there was a certain auburn haired seeker, that knew very well how to break down those walls she built all these years. And she didn't even need to turn around to know that he knew.

"Talk to me"

"You know, you can be pretty annoying sometimes.", she answered, head turned downwards.

"I know. But I also can't let you have all the worries alone."

"Yes you can!" She was now fully looking at him. Her eyes getting colder again.

"No" He knew that he was provoking her, but that was now the only way to get through to her.

"Dante, I can very well take care of myself alone! I don't need you to worry about me!" She raised her voice a bit, signalising him, that she meant what she said.

But as Dante is, he completely ignored that.

"Zhalia, I know that, but that's not the point. You can talk to me when you have worries or a problem!"

That's when he hit the point.

"So, and when would you be there to listen to me? Have you forgotten that you go back to New York tomorrow?"

She didn't quite said what she was thinking, but it was enough for Dante to realise, what she meant. Guilt crept up Dante's eyes. She was right. Since their fight with the betrayer, he hasn't been much in Venice. He was too busy. And now with that new force, he wouldn't have the time to be here, either. And upon realising, that the last time they really talked together, maybe was the time she left for the blood spiral, made him feel all the more guilty.

She had been watching him and his eyes clearly displayed, what he was thinking. She WAS angry, she really was, but she also couldn't blame him alone.

"Dante, listen. Now's probably just not the right time, you know? I mean, you're busy with the council and the first thing I need to do now, is telling the team. And I'm sorry, if I hurt you..."

She looked away. Partly because she didn't want to face him and partly because she couldn't.

"No, you're right. I should support you more." he said and thought of an idea.

She gave him a slight surprised look.

He thought for a moment and then said "Do you want to stay here?"

It was a blunt question and Zhalia could've sworn that she saw a slight blush on Dante's cheeks.

She shook her head and replied "Thanks, but I think I sleep in my apartment."

"Okay, should I accompany you?"

She could barley hold herself back from rolling her eyes at him. When will he stop caring for her so much?

But deep inside Zhalia knew, that she secretly was happy about it. Even if it could be annoying, she was grateful for someone, who finally looked at her and cared. And moreover accepted her for who she is, and didn't judge her by what she did or was.

A playful smile found it's way on her lips and she tilted her head a bit.

"I'm a grown up woman, you know? I think I can walk by myself."

He chuckled. Expecting something else would've been dumb. But he was happy that she smiled, even if it was a small one.

He accompanied her to the door and gave her a quick wave. When she left, he returned inside and went to bed. Sleep waited long to come, because his thoughts were distracted by a certain midnight blue-haired woman...

 **-The next day**

 **Venice, Italy**

 **10:00 AM**

The sunlight was lightly tickling a still deep asleep Lok. He moaned and turned around, blinking and cursing the sun for waking him up.

 _Morning, huh? Already? Somehow I know, that if I don't get up now, Sophie will be angry..._

Since their fight against the betrayer, Lok practically lived in Sophie's house and therefor, also slept there. It was mainly, because he wanted to make sure of her safety and a part of him wanted it, because he liked Sophie. Den on the other side, lived in an apartment not far away, so did Zhalia.

He lifted himself up, so he could take a proper look at the clock.

 _10:00 AM, still pretty much time to sleep..._ He thought and got back under the blankets.

"Wait, what?! 10:00 AM?! No way! I need to get up!" Lok exclaimed and jumped out of bed.

He quickly dressed himself and ran down the stairs of Sophie's mansion. As he came down, the personification of satan was awaiting him, or at least that's what he saw.

"Good morning, Lok! Did you sleep well?" Sophie asked with a dangerously low voice that sent shivers down Lok's spine.

"Uhm...I...think so..."

He nervously rubbed his neck, this wouldn't turn out well.

"So...What in 'set your alarm on 8:00 AM' did you not understand?! Huh?! I WAITED TWO HOURS! After half an hour, I went to wake you up! And all you did, was saying 'goodnight Sophie, dream sweet'...! I wanted to use powers to wake you up! Thankfully LeBlanche held me back. Do you take drugs when you go to sleep?! I thought we were supposed to study?!"

To say Sophie was fuming, would've been an understatement.

"I...I'm so sorry, Sophie. I didn't hear the alarm and the bed was too cuddly..."

He couldn't possibly said a lamer excuse...

"So, if I would want you to wake up sooner, I most likely get you a stone to sleep on? That won't be too cuddly, will it?"

Yes, she was angry.

"Sophie, I'm really sorry! I'll make up for it, I promise!" His eyes were a mixture of hope and fear now.

Just as Sophie was about to reply, LeBlanche stood under the door frame and said "Milady, Mr. Vale is here."

Sophie's and Lok's eyes grew wide and they both had a shocked expression on their faces.

Before either of them could voice their surprise, Dante already made his way into the large salon.

"Hi Lok, Sophie." he said, a smirk played on his lips.

"DANTE!" Lok shouted and ran towards his mentor to give him a quick hug.

Said mentor just smiled and hugged him back.

"I missed you too" Dante said while chuckling.

He gave Sophie a short smile too, before they were once again interrupted.

A woman in her early twenties entered the salon. Of course, it was no other than Zhalia. The three of them turned around and happily greeted Zhalia. But she wasn't all that happy, because a certain man managed to surprise her again.

She looked at Dante. He gave her a quick nod and then she realised, why he was here in the first place. She shot him a grateful look and the corners of her lips slightly went upwards.

Zhalia cleared her throat and concentrated her look on Sophie and Lok. As she was about to speak up, she realised that someone was missing.

"Where's Den?" she asked.

"Here! I'm here! Sorry, that it took me so long to come here, but my clock died over night..." Den shouted while storming into Sophie's mansion.

The Lady of the house narrowed her eyes and asked "Is that now going to be the new fashion of excuses?!"

Den looked from Sophie to Lok, who signalised him, not to ask any further. He gave Dante a short smile and sat down. When everyone was seated properly, Zhalia spoke up again.

"Guys, I have to tell you something."

Everyone went silent and just starred at her. Her voice was low and cold, eyes narrowed, figure tense. The air started to get thick.

"Yesterday Dante called me to his house, because he needed to inform me about something. That thing is a new evil force. The foundation doesn't have any reliable informations yet, but Metz is thinking, that this force might be an old legend. A french noblewoman who lost her daughter because of her husband, and therefore killed him and got cursed for that sin. And now she's probably trying to get revenge."

She saw the faces of the teens and immediately knew, what they were thinking.

Lok lifted his head and looked at Zhalia. His expression blank, except from the pleading eyes.

"Your kidding, right? Please tell me you're kidding!" Lok said.

Zhalia merely shook her head.

Sophie laid a comforting hand on Lok's shoulder.

"Lok..." was all she could say.

"Dante! Please, tell me that's not the truth!" Lok whispers and turned to face his mentor.

"I'm so sorry Lok, but Zhalia's right." Dante explained. His voice was soft and understanding.

"Now of all times!" Lok screamed "Now, that I'm so close to find dad!" His lips trembled.

Sophie gave Lok an encouraging smile.

"We'll find him Lok! No matter what! I'm sure of that!" She meant every word she said, but it didn't seem to convince Lok. No, it had the opposite effect.

"And how the hell are we gonna find him if we can't search for him, huh?!" he yelled at her, voice laced with sadness and anger.

Sophie's eyes grew wide. She wasn't used to be yelled at, especially not from Lok, even if it was understandable.

Lok realised that too and immediately looked guilty.

"I'm sorry, Sophie. It was just...There are so many hints and we finally know, that my dad's in Huntik. We defeated the professor and even the betrayer and now, now there is someone new! That just isn't fair!"

"I know, Lok. We all know what you're feeling. And we are your friends, we're gonna help you!" Sophie told him.

"Sophie's completely right, man! You're not alone!" Den agreed.

Dante nodded and gave them and encouraging smile. A smile that, this time, reached his eyes.

Zhalia took a step forward and gave Lok's shoulder a quick pat. Determination was reflected in her eyes.

"There is no need to think, that you have to go through this all by yourself." She looked at him, assuring him, that he could count on her no matter what.

"Thanks guys. I really appreciate that!" Lok smiled weakly. This was costing him a lot of strength, but he knew, he had his friends with him.

"Look, Lok. We helped Dante finding a medicine for Metz, helped Den becoming part of the seeker world and getting along with Harrison, you all helped me with my family and we helped Zhalia with Klaus and her past. Now we're gonna help you find your dad!"

"Yeah, we probably need to safe the world between all this, but we're gonna find him." Den was being sarcastic once again, but Lok knew he meant it.

Lok gave everyone one last grateful smile before he sat down again, listening to Dante explaining the details of their problem.

After that, the teens started talking about some more energy-giving things, while Zhalia excused herself for a moment and walked onto the balcony outside.

She was deep in thought, because Sophie brought Klaus up. It wasn't like she couldn't hear his name, it was just that she hadn't thought of him much lately. As she was busy thinking, she didn't notice how a certain amber-eyed man neared her.

Dante was silently watching her and sighed to himself. The words Sophie just said came up his mind ' _we_ _helped Zhalia with Klaus and her past_ '.

 _Yeah, we helped her...But how much did we actually help her? Her past is still nagging at her._ He sighed. _Why is that woman so stubborn? Why can't she just talk to me?_

His thought were interrupted when she turned around and saw him.

"How long did you stand here?" she asked, voice thick.

"Long enough"

And as he looked her in the eyes and saw the tears, that dared to fall down, he knew that nothing has changed. She was still as affected by her past as she was when they met.

She knew that he knew.

And in that moment, when she saw all the warmth in Dante's eyes, she couldn't hold this one tear, that wanted out desperately, back anymore.

Dante slowly stepped towards her and held his hand out, just as he did the time she left. She took his hand, hesitantly. She let out a quiet yelp of surprise as Dante pulled her into his arms all of a sudden.

She just stood there, doing nothing.

One hand of his found her cheek and wiped away that tear. And the other lightly caressed her hair.

She put her arms around Dante's waist and buried her head in his chest. No words were exchanged between the two. There was no need for it.

She closed her eyes, her lips letting a sigh escape. For now, she simply enjoyed his warmth, letting her guard down. She knew, he wouldn't hurt her. She trusted him, more than she trusted anyone else.

Dante wrapped his arms stronger around her, holding her tightly, because he feared, that she would break into pieces, if he wouldn't.

He took in the smell of her hair and looked up at the sun standing high in the sky.

 _Can_ _someone tell me why?_ Was all he thought.

 _To be continued..._

* * *

 **Aaaaand...that was chapter two! I know, it's a bit a depressing end...Well, anyways, I hope you liked it! I'll try to update soon.**

 **Don't** **forget to review! :) Until next time ;) Um, short note** **: I thought, I was writing this chapter for hours and I hope it's not too long.**

 **\- Lady Athena of Olymp**


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's note:**

 **Here I am, publishing the third chapter…Really, if someone would have told me a year ago, that I would publish a story on this site; I'd certainly called him crazy…! Thanks for the reviews, and special thanks to Nina Vale; your tips are very helpful! :)**

 **Enjoy, I wish you all a nice time!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Huntik: Secrets and Seekers nor the characters. But I own my OC's and the plot.**

* * *

 **Chapter three: Bonjour**

 **The next day**

 **French airspace**

 **8:00 AM**

After Zhalia and Dante told the team about this Annabelle, Dante received a call from Metz. He told them to go to France. They need to go to the National Library of France in Paris, to get more informations about Annabelle and her legend. It was also necessary to look for a and old, detailed map of Paris in 14th century. They'll need to compare this map with a current one, maybe they'll be able to make out the place of living of Annabelle. Or at least get near that place. The more they know about her, the better they can prepare themselves for the winter and her possible attacks.

Currently, the team was in the Huntik foundation jet, on their way to Paris. Zhalia was studying the current map, that Metz gave them, while Lok and Den looked like sleepy zombies. It was definitely too early for them to even know their own names. And Dante sat in the cockpit and steered the jet. Memories of the conversation with Metz flew across his mind.

 **Flashback**

 _They sat in the big living room of Sophie's mansion. After Dante's and Zhalia's little 'talk' on the balcony, they went back inside. No one said a word to the other. As soon as all of them were seated again, Dante's phone ringed. He took it out of his pocket to see_ _who wanted something from him. It was Metz._

 _Dante looked up and said "Please excuse me for a moment."_

 _He went outside the room and walked into the long hallway._

 _"Hi Metz" he said as he picked up the phone._

 _"Thank goodness, Dante! I thought I wouldn't reach you, because you could have been in the plane to New York. Where are you now, anyways?" Metz replied, his voice giving his curiosity away._

 _"I'm still in Venice, Metz."_

 _"In Venice? Why?"_

 _"Because I told the team about Annabelle." he answered._

 _"Wasn't that supposed to be Zhalia's task?" By now, Metz was wondering why Dante didn't call him to say that he'll stay in Venice for another day. He wasn't even supposed to come to Venice. He only needed to call Zhalia and tell her about this. It was her duty to tell the teens. But Dante refrained from phoning Zhalia. He wanted to face her, when telling her about such an important matter. So he flew to Venice, but agreed to take the first flight back to New York._

 _"It was. But she worried that Lok wouldn't take it well."_

 _"So you decided to stay and help her out?" Metz figured._

 _"Yes"_

 _"Why didn't you call me? I thought something might have happened!" Worry and a hint of anger could be heard in Metz's voice._

 _"Actually, I didn't thought of it." Dante's voice was surprisingly cold, something Metz wasn't used to._

 _"Dante, is everything okay?"_

 _"Yes, why?" This short answers of Dante were getting the best of Metz._

 _"Because you seem preoccupied by something!"_

 _"Metz, everything's alright. I just didn't sleep enough, that's all."_ _Metz didn't need to know, that his thoughts couldn't let go of Zhalia. Seeing her crying was something he couldn't live with. In that moment she looked so vulnerable, like a fairy figure made of glass. One blow of wind and it would break._

 _"When you say so...Well I have a task for you."_

 _And then Metz started explaining Dante what they are going to do next._

 **Flashback end**

Dante sighed. He guessed it would be the best now, if he'd concentrate on their 'mission' and let the matter rest; for now.

A few minutes passed and Dante could see the airport.

He took the microphone and said to his team members "Team, get ready! We're going to land in five minutes."

"Huh? We're already in Paris?" Den exclaimed.

"If you would pay a bit more attention to your surroundings, instead of squabbling with Lok all the time, you would've noticed." Sophie answered.

Zhalia just smirked in amusement. Those teens will never stop it.

They got their things packed and landed. Two ours of flying have passed and Dante decided, that it would be better to first get a small breakfast and then go to the library, since they hadn't much time for eating in the morning. Much to Den's and Lok's pleasure, because they could hear their stomachs grumbling. After they left the airport, they took a cab, which drove them to the centre of Paris. Since Dante knew Paris quite well, he led them to a café called 'L'étoile bleue' **(A/N: this is french and means: the blue star)** It was quite a small café, compared to others, but well known for it's coffee and the sweet pancakes. And before they would start their adventure in the world of books and legends, a full stomach was definitely necessary.

"Paris is just a nice city. I love those little cafés!" Sophie said as she carefully studied the menu card.

Her eyes fell onto the cappuccino with caramel flavour and the pancakes with whipped cream and maple syrup. Den and Lok both decided to take a salty meal and Dante simply took an espresso with a slice of chocolate cake.

His eyes then fell onto Zhalia, who seemingly hasn't opened her card yet.

"Do you don't want to have anything, Zhalia?" He asked.

"No thanks, I'm fine." She replied. Though she didn't miss the hint of curiosity in his voice.

"Are you sure?" Even if she lived alone and he didn't know how much she ate for breakfast, he was sure that she most likely must be hungry now.

"No, it's fine. I'm not really hungry." She said, turning her head away.

Something has caught her attention. She didn't know what it was, but if her eyes didn't fail her, then she thought she saw a shadow at the outside corner of the café. Sure, it just could've been a normal passerby, but her senses told her that something was off.

She turned her head back to Dante, just to find him looking at her. She caught his gaze with hers and silently told him to stay on alert. As a trained spy, she knew that even the slightest bit of strangeness could be fatal, if one didn't pay it enough attention.

So after they finished eating their second breakfast, they made their way towards the big library of Paris.

Sophie looked at the library in awe. It really was an amazing sight. One whole library, divided in four buildings. Each one of them making an angle, so that it looked like a giant rectangle. But it wasn't only a library. It also had a large gallery, many technical instruments, like telescopes, and between the four buildings was a big place, where a lot of people walked through. Every building was specialised on one specific theme, so they went into the sector for ancient history.

They went in and bought tickets for five ours. This library was like a museum; you could read, but not lend. The came through a door of glass an the entered a large salon, full of bookshelves of all kind of categories. After every fifth shelf, there was a space, where three tables stood. Each one had six chairs and above was a lamp, that engulfed the tables in a suited light for reading.

The shelfs were categorised in A,B,C etc. Under the letters stood a spectrum of time, for example 1200-1300. The individual books were divided into 'world history', 'industry and progress' and 'stories of extraordinary people'. At the end of one shelf, there was a special place for books containing 'legends and myths'.

They went to shelf N 1300-1400. The team split into two. Dante, Lok and Den looked through the category 'stories of extraordinary people', while Sophie and Zhalia went to read 'legends and myths'.

 **Three hours later**

 **National Library of France, Paris**

"What a nerve-wracking task! I can't find a single book with a french noblewoman named Annabelle. If they were named Annabelle, then either the woman was poor, or she wasn't even french or she never married!" Sophie exclaimed and sighed. Already three hours passed and she was slowly getting exhausted. She loved books, but it only made fun when you could enjoy reading it. This was absolutely annoying!

The others didn't find anything either. Slowly they started to ask themselves, if that woman even existed.

Then Thalia came up with an idea, that might be useful.

"Why didn't I thought sooner of it?" She said, turning towards her team members.

"What do you mean?" Sophie asked.

"What if this Annabelle was a seeker? I mean, she got cursed after all...and lives still now. What if she had some secret powers and killed her husband with them?" Zhalia explained and looked to Dante to see what he was thinking.

"You might be right, Zhalia. From what you hear from this legend, this woman seems just as ordinary as everyone else. But she got cursed and swore revenge, so she must have some powers. And maybe you're right, that she had them from the beginning." Dante concluded.

As if on cue, and elderly woman appeared behind him. She smiled at them, her grey eyes shining with interest. But if you took a closer look at her, you could see the slight red shine in her eyes.

 _Seeker magic..._ Zhalia thought. _But this is not_ _organisation style. It would've been green. And it's not blood spiral either. They don't use mind-control magic like this one. Then what is it? That old lady must've been tricked and now she wants us to fall into a trap._

Zhalia looked to Dante, who was seemingly thinking the same. He gave her a curt nod, telling her to remain indifferent. Let's see what this woman has to say.

"Hello! I'm one of the librarians. I heard you saying something about seekers?" She said, fixing Dante with her eyes.

"So you know about them?" Dante asked, giving his identity as a seeker away.

"Yes, I was once a seeker, a long time ago. You must be Dante Vale, right?" She smiled creepily, the aura of negative energy that radiated from her, was now felt by the whole team.

"Indeed." Said male answered.

"Well, there is a secret section in this library. It contains informations about old seekers. I could lead you the way. Maybe you'll find there, what you're searching for."

Sophie was about to ask her, if they also have books about the Casterwill family, but Zhalia shut her up with a glare. She realised what Zhalia meant and closed her mouth. A unfamiliar person shouldn't know she's a Casterwill. Not after what happened during their fight with the betrayer.

"That would be very nice of you!" Dante finally answered her.

"Dante! We can't trust this lady!" Lok whispered.

"I know. But there might be really a hidden section for seekers. We'll just pretend to be dumb! Even if we fall into her trap; that's the risk we need to take. That way we'll probably be able to find out more of this Annabelle." Dante whispered back.

They walked until the end of the large salon, passed a door, turned left and then walked down a couple of stairs. After they'd changed the floor, they entered a long hallway. At the end of it, there was a big metal door. Above the door, there stood in old french: _Seekers only_

The old lady entered the required code and then laid her hand onto a sign, which was graved into the door. It looked like a rose, but it had also the shape of a star. They couldn't really figure out, what the sign resembled to. Maybe it was an old version of the foundation's coat of arms.

When the door finally cracked open, they felt a huge wave of energy engulfing them. That was indeed seeker magic.

"Welcome in the seeker's library! Enjoy your time here. If you need help with finding something, then there is a holotome, which registered every book in here. It should be on your right. When you're finished, you can just go out. A code is only needed for entering, not leaving." The old lady quickly explained. She disappeared as fast as she came.

"Well, then team, let's hurry up and find something!" Dante quickly instructed his team, before he went to the holotome.

He opened it and said "Show me everything about Annabelle Josephine du Pont!"

 _"There is one book about Annabelle_ _Josephine du Pont. Shelf: 2, sector: legends, column: 24"_ The holotome answered.

Lok ran towards the said shelf and took out the book.

It was old and dusty. The title was the same as Annabelle's name. It was coloured in a deep red, with golden decorations, making it look valuable.

"Guys, here's the book!" Lok shouted.

"Amazing! There are even books about the legendary titans! I wish I could stay here longer!" Sophie remarked.

Just then, a group of easily ten men came out from behind the shelves.

"Your wish may be granted! You and your team shall be buried here for eternity!" A dark voice echoed through the room.

Sophie quickly ran toward her team,an turned around, to see, from where the voice came.

It belonged to a tall and well-trained man in his late twenties, with dark brown hair and green eyes. He wore black, polished shoes, wide, grey trousers and a green jacket, that had a light military look. It seemed as he was the head of the group.

"And you are?" Den questioned, already feeling disgusted by the smirk playing on the lips of that man.

"My name is 'non of your business'!" He answered. "But that doesn't matter anyway...Boltflare!" The man screamed.

Den barely had time to call armorbrand.

"So it already began." These words left a bitter taste on Zhalia's lips.

"Get ready to fight!" Dante yelled, getting into fighting position.

"Men, attack!" The group leader countered.

"Touchram!" Zhalia shouted as she hit a man with her left foot. She quickly smashed him to the ground, just to get crashed into the nearest wall.

These guys weren't to be underestimated.

"Honor guard!" "Augerfrost!" Sophie had to deal with two men at once.

One was attacking her from behind, while she was busy fighting the one in front of her.

At the same time, Dante managed to throw a man against a shelf, getting him unconscious. But soon he was hit with raypulse in the back.

"We need to use titans!" He screamed. "Caliban!"

"Fight for your lady, Kilthane! Gareon!"

"Stand by my side, Sabriel!"

"Lindorm!"

"Vigilante!"

Those guys may use the same seeker spells, but there titans sure were another deal. They summoned two 'half warrior half horse' titans, a red snake, which could change form and length. There were also a couple of minor titans with he strength of redcap.

The fight heated up; around the half of these military guys were unconscious, but the rest could still fight and therefore, summoned more titans.

Sabriel, Kilthane and Vigilante returned to their amulets.

"Make them tremble, King Basilisk!" Zhalia screamed and used shadowspeed to hit the next one.

"Come out, Feone, Sorcerell!

"Ariel!" Dante yelled followed by Den and Lok who shouted "Freelancer!" "Baselaird!"

But even with more titans, the hunt team seemed to loose. There were just too many opponents.

"Aaaah!" Sophie crashed into a shelf, inhaling sharply as a wave of pain came over her.

"Sophie!" Lok shouted and ran towards her.

Den was getting tired, so did Zhalia and Dante. Just when they managed to defeat one, an unconscious one seemed to be able to fight again. They weren't even near winning.

Dante was now surrounded by four 'hunters' (because they looked like some, in those green jackets), just when he heard Zhalia screaming, as one of the gave her a blow in the rips.

 _Dammit! I hope she's okay...!_ He thought.

"Dante, there are too many of them!" Lok helplessly yelled.

In that moment, a young woman, in the age of Sophie, entered the library and stood next to Zhalia. This woman quickly shielded Zhalia with armorbrand and defeated two hunters.

"Team, gather all your strength and fight back as hard as you can!" Because the men surrounding him, were momentarily distracted, he had enough time to free himself and lend Lok and Sophie a hand.

The fight lasted for ten more minutes and then, these men were finally defeated and vanished to wherever they came from.

"Hah..." The new girl said "I made it just in time."

As soon as Den fully saw her, his eyes bulged and he shouted "ELLIE?!"

 _To be continued..._

* * *

 ** _Puh...That was quite an exhausting chapter...At the beginning, I was only sure about what I would write as an end, and I didn't know if it was interesting...I hope, that it wasn't too long and therefore boring...I tried to make it the same length as the last chapter, but there was no way to make it smaller and I couldn't split it in two...:(_**

 ** _Well, I hope you enjoyed it nonetheless! Please review and give me feedback! :)_**

 ** _Love_**

 ** _Athena_**


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's note:**

 **Heeyy, guys! Now comes the fourth chapter! As always, I try to follow the advice of you all, so that the next chapters will be easier to read, and the whole story more enjoyable. Thanks for the nice reviews! They give me courage and let me go on!**

 **Enjoy yourselves and have fun reading :)**

 **\- Lady Athena of Olymp**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Huntik: Secrets and Seekers nor the characters. But I own my OC's and the plot.**

* * *

 **Chapter four: Old friends?**

 **National Library of France, Paris**

 **Something around 11:00 AM**

Everyone turned their heads towards Den, who had a shocked and irritated expression on his face. He stared at the girl, who managed to safe them just in time, before the fight with these 'hunters' would've gotten really ugly.

She had long dark blonde hair, that reached her taille. It was straight and there were a few strands, that fell into her face. She was around the same height as Sophie. She had green eyes, with a hint of blue, what made her eyes look like an emerald under water. The green of her eyes, had a dark shade, that way, they perfectly fitted her hair. She had a pale skin, like porcelain, and strawberry coloured lips. She wore dark blue jeans with a purple shirt and pink sneakers. All in all, she looked like a normal 16 year old teenager.

Finally she spoke up. "Hi Den. It has been quite some time, hasn't it?"

Her green eyes shined with friendliness, as she observed the team. Especially Den.

"So...this is the place you've gone to." She asked, though it was rather a statement, than a question. Her voice was soft, but the sharp undertone, could be heard easily.

Den just stared at her, not knowing what to say. Of all the people, he could've met, he never would've expected her.

"You two seem to know each other." Dante remarked, as he watched the two. "May we get to know your name?"

The girl quickly turned around and said "Ah, how rude of me! My name is Alexandria Casterwill. Den and I know each other, because we were in the same orphanage. Well, we didn't see us for nearly a year, because suddenly he disappeared."

Everyone's eyes grew wide as she said her last name. She was seeker and a Casterwill, what should that mean?

"Um, what was your last name?" Sophie inquired.

"Casterwill. Why?" Alexandria asked. "Oh wait, I know why! Casterwill is the name of a big clan, rumoured to exist since ancient times. But they're just a rich family and I'm part of them. That's probably why you all were so surprised. But I'm not that kind of girl, who has a rich family and shows off with it."

"Well, I'm Sophie Casterwill. That's why I asked." Sophie replied. The disappointment she felt, was lacing her voice. Alexandria seemingly didn't know about the Casterwill clan's secrets. It would've been nice to meet someone, who maybe knew, what she didn't.

"Really?! How interesting! I've never met members of the same family before!"

"I did a couple of times, but no one was the same age as me." Sophie explained and turned her head away.

Alexandria then looked around to face the other team members.

"Ah, we got distracted. I'm really rude! What are your names?"

"I'm Dante Vale." He said. "These are Lok Lambert and Zhalia Moon." He pointed to the two people, standing next to him.

"Nice to meet you all!"

"Hi!" Lok said and greeted her.

"Hello" Zhalia mumbled. This girl was way to girly!

"Since you lent us a hand, why don't you accompany us?" Dante offered.

"That's very nice of you! Thanks!" She replied and gave them all a friendly smile.

But before they could even take one step, a loud grumble was heard from the ceiling. It cracked. Suddenly there were stones falling down.

The whole library seemed to get shaken up by an earthquake. Even the floor got cracks.

"We need to get out of here!" Zhalia shouted.

She jumped left to avoid a stone falling on her.

"Lok!" Dante screamed. "Get the book!"

Lok turned to see where the book was, but at first sight, he could't see it. But finally he spotted it.

It was buried under a shelf, that crash down durning the fight.

He quickly used hyperstride and jumped to the book. But he couldn't free it. It was stuck, so he needed to put the other books away first.

"Lok, hurry!" Den shouted.

Lok didn't need to be told twice. After some agonising seconds, he eventually managed to get the book and ran out, before the whole library fell on him.

"Is everyone here?" Dante asked, looking around.

As he saw every familiar face, plus Alexandria, he sighed in relief.

"Let's get out of here! This place it strange." Lok announced.

Everyone nodded their heads and made their way through the hallway and to the stairs.

"Thank you, for taking me with you!" Alexandria said.

"No problem!" Sophie replied and smiled at her. Little did she know, that the both Casterwill's will become good friends.

"Oh and Den?" Alexandria said and turned to him.

"Yes?" Said male answered.

"You're not allowed to call me Ellie ever again!" She sharply declared.

Her eyes were full of disappointment and sadness. And she knew, that Den knew why.

Lok shot his teammate a questioning look, but Den merely shrugged his head.

"That's a long story..."

 **On a park bench, Paris, France**

 **12:00 PM**

"So, Alexandria, tell us something about you." Lok said, as they were all seated on two benches; around ten minutes away from the library.

"Mhm...Well, I was born in England and lived there until my parent's divorce. My mother moved with me to Rotterdam, but she died when I was twelve, so I was transferred into the same orphanage as Den was in. I was pretty quiet and shy. The death of my mother affected me hard and my dad was nowhere. But then I got to know Den and we became good friends. He and his brother helped me a lot, but suddenly both disappeared. I didn't now why, or where they had gone to, so I was left there alone. Soon after they left, my father appeared all of a sudden and took me with him. We moved to Venice and there I go to the 'Venice Art and Music Academy'. I'm here in Paris for holidays, but I can't really relax. My dad's very strict and he's business man, so actually I'm here because of his work..." She explained and looked down.

"I'm sorry...I lost my parents too!" Sophie said as she laid a comforting hand on Alexandria's shoulder.

"And my dad disappeared too!" Lok agreed.

"That's sad. You too had tough lives, huh?" The girl said. She looked to Dante and Zhalia, who just silently watched the conversation.

"What about you Zhalia? I don't know much about you either. Did you also had a parent who left you?" Alexandria inquired.

Zhalia immediately tensed and narrowed her eyes.

"There's nothing more to know." Zhalia quickly dismissed this topic and made Alexandria understand, that this was dangerous terrain, she was about to go on.

"Oh..." Alexandria understood quickly and thought it was the best, to let the matter rest.

Dante mentally face palmed himself. What a good start. "But you could tell us, how you come being a seeker?" Dante asked, lifting the mood, that had fallen down.

"Ah, well, my mother was one too. I am a seeker since I was ten. I know there's a Huntik foundation, but I'm not a member yet. I'd like to, though. I'm not a beginner, but nothing near experienced either." She explained and sighed.

"Maybe, there's a way to make you a member!" Sophie exclaimed. "We all are seekers and members of the foundation!"

"Really? Wait, a sec. Your names...Lambert, Vale, Moon, Casterwill and Fears. Oh my goodness, aren't you those top seekers, everyone's talking about?!" She questioned surprised.

"Finally you found out! I thought, you've never heard the name Vale before..." Den countered and was given an annoyed glare from her.

"I'm sorry, that I'm not omniscient, Den!" She shot back.

Zhalia just rolled her eyes. _Can't they just get to the point? I'd like to leave Paris...I'm just not in the mood for hanging around...Not know!_ She thought.

"When do you return to Venice?" Lok asked.

"Uhm...ah, tomorrow!" She answered and lightly tilted her head.

"Sophie, maybe she could come to your mansion? We could tell her more about seekers and the foundation." He said and turned to Sophie.

"Sure, why not. Is that okay for you, Alexandria?" Sophie replied.

"Aww, that would be so nice of you!"

"Then it's settled! Let's all meet at Sophie's tomorrow at 2:00 PM, okay?" Lok exclaimed and got nods from everyone. Nearly everyone. A certain woman wasn't too fond of hanging around with a teen more.

"Well, then team, it's time for us to go." Dante said and got up.

"Bye guys, I'll see you tomorrow!" Alexandria said and waved at them. She turned around and ran to a cab, that just stopped at the street.

Shortly after Alexandria left, the Huntik went to the airport and flew to Venice.

 **Airport**

 **Venice, Italy**

After two agonising hours of silence, they reached Venice. Den decided to stay at Sophie's mansion, because it made little sense for him to go home, just to come back the next day.

The teens said goodbye to Dante and Zhalia, what made them stand alone.

"I guess, I take my leave as well." Zhalia was about to turn away, when Dante stopped her.

"Wait a moment...I'd like to talk to you." He said, looking her in the eyes.

She already guessed what he was thinking about, therefore let her displeasure display in her eyes. She sighed.

"Please...Come to my house, yes?" Dante replied, his eyes showing warmth and concern.

"Fine...!" The moment she said that, she cursed herself, but in the end, she followed him.

They walked in a uncomfortable silence, until they reached Dante's house. He opened the door, switched on the light and walked into the kitchen. Zhalia slumped onto the couch and crossed her arms and legs.

"So, what is there you want to talk about?" She muttered.

Her voice was laced with slight coldness. She never liked it when Dante got near her walls. He not only dared to break them, he completely broke through them, got to her heart and dared to see, what no one was supposed to discover. Her past. Her mistakes. The pain, she suffered from. And the feelings, she tried to keep hidden.

He always managed to take her off guard. To surprise her. And secretly, she was afraid of him knowing her. Afraid of him seeing past her mask. But she wouldn't let him know. Not now.

He must've seen her being deep in thought. Because he brought to cups filled with hot tea and placed one in from of Zhalia. He just sat there, silently watching her. And as she turned around to face him, he let all the emotions, he currently felt, show in his eyes. Concern, worry and kindness.

"What's bothering you, Zhalia?" He calmly asked, locking her eyes with his.

"I can't get out of this anyway, so let's get it over with. Everything's bothering me! We have a new enemy to face, suddenly a Casterwill girl appears out of nowhere, that, on top of all, has a past with Den and..." she hesitated.

"And then there's the man, I once called 'father'. Imprisoned in some huntik foundation prison, where he wouldn't be able to use bad powers ever again."

 _So, it is Klaus_ _after all..._ Dante thought to himself as he saw her averting her eyes.

"Zhalia..." He started, but was quickly interrupted by her.

"No Dante. Please, I don't want to talk about it." She said and looked down.

"I respect that, but please listen to me. Just listen to what I have to say." He replied and fixed her with his eyes.

"Zhalia, you don't need to hide, that the topic about Klaus still hurts you. I know you good enough. And I absolutely understand, that you don't want to talk about it. I can only imagine, how hard it must affect you. But Zhalia, you're one of the strongest person I've ever seen. Not only your powers, but also how you managed to get your life back together. You're my friend! And as your friend, I'll help you. If this topic isn't eaten for you, then we'll go at it right now! But I don't want to see you all gloomy and sad!"

She wasn't sure, how long she just sat there and looked at him. Unable to say a single word.

He was right, in every point he hit the nail, and only now, she realised, that she didn't need to hide anything from him. He knew her. He could see through her. He was there. Why didn't she realised sooner, that he never left her side? He was always there. To ensure she was alright. when he wasn't able to prevent her from falling, then he made sure to catch her.

She wouldn't call him a savour. Or a knight in a shining armour and a white horse. Dante was no such man.

But he was a man, who stood by her side, no matter what.

That was when she lifted her head, to meet his eyes and for one time, to give in.

"Thank you, Dante. If it's not too much to ask, I'd like to go to Vienna after we told Alexandria more about the seeker's world." She said.

"I already guessed that." He smiled. "Sure you can go. Just stay on alert." Quickly he got serious again.

"I know. I will." She assured him and stood up.

She gave him a quick wave of her hand, before she walked to the door. Before she left the house, she gave him a last look, that showed more that a simple 'thank you'.

* * *

 **And that was it!**

 **I'm so, so sorry if this chapter turned out bad! :(**

 **It also isn't as long as the previous ones. I had some bad days, that's why I had trouble writing this chapter. But I hope you like it** **nonetheless! I found it was full of unnecessary stuff...Well, hopefully you liked the short Zhante moment. I'll try/promise to make the next chapter better.**

 **Please, please** **review! :) I need that!**

 **Until next chapter and have nice days. *waves hands***


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's note:**

 **Hello, dear readers! Nr. 5 is here! Thank you all for your nice** **reviews! This chapter is going to contain some Drama...!**

 **As always, enjoy! :)**

 **\- Lady Athena of Olymp**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Huntik: Secrets and Seekers nor the characters. But I own my OC's and the plot.**

* * *

 **Chapter 5: Daddy knows best**

 **Venice, Italy**

 **Streets of Venice**

 **2:00 PM**

It was a rather cold day, compared to the previous ones, and the trees slowly started to loose their leaves. The sun warmed the people on Venice's crowded streets, so a certain auburn haired seeker.

Dante was on his way to Sophie's house. The whole team met there to tell Alexandria more about the seeker's world. But there where a few thoughts that kept him busy.

On one side, he was thinking about what to do with Alexandria. She knew Den, but he was not blind and noticed they're obvious tension. He didn't trust her fully yet, but was still grateful, that she saved them. But she wasn't that experienced and he didn't know, if it would be wise to tell her about Annabelle.

On the other side, there was Zhalia. He kept brooding over their little 'talk'. After this afternoon, she will fly to Vienna and pay Klaus a visit. And Dante wasn't too sure about that.

 _What if he hurts her? I know she needs to see him, finally settling this matter, but I still worry. I won't be there for her if anything happens._ He thought.

Those thoughts didn't let go of him, until he reached his destination. He knocked three times and then LeBlanche opened and greeted him his friendly smile.

"Welcome, Dante. Come in, the others are already awaiting you." The older male said and gently invited him in.

Dante walked through the long, lighted hallway, past the porcelain salon, until he reached the big salon. His whole team was seated there, including Alexandria, who was expectantly staring at him.

"Hello, Dante!" Lok happily greeted him, while Zhalia gave him a short smile.

He sat on the couch and looked at Alexandria.

"What do you want to know, Alexandria?" Dante asked.

"Mhm...Well, how is the foundation built up? I mean, the top, agents etc." She replied.

"Okay. Well, we have a council, consisting of high-ranked seekers, who are placed all over the world. Each of them represents a country and is responsible for a specific task. Metz, my old mentor by the way, is the top of the council and the foundation. I also joined the council, but right now, I'm taking 'a break'. The foundation is built up like every other agency, with the agents from top to bottom. But we don't call us agents, we prefer being called seekers, because and old enemy had fellows called agents. For seeker who don't have enough money or a too long way from home, can stay at the foundation HQ suites. We have training rooms, as well as meeting rooms." He explained.

"Wow...! Um, who were your enemies? And what ranks do you have?" Alexandria asked further.

"Well, our enemies were some bad guys, which were controlled by someone who, how should I say, didn't know were right and left was, and had some crazy wishes. And the second one, wasn't better." Dante replied.

He tried his best, to avoid sensitive informations. He began to trust her, but still stood on alert. They didn't know what this Annabelle was capable of, and he didn't want to risk anything.

"Ah, okay. I guess, you're all very experienced seekers, right?"

"Yeah, you could call us like this." He answered. "Do you also want to know something about the seekers?"

"Well, apparently I know everything. How to summon titans, to create spells etc." Alexandria answered.

"Though, there is one more thing, you need to know. The Casterwills." Dante said and mentioned Sophie to go on.

"My family? What's so special about them, apart from the richness?" Alexandria inquired curiously.

Well..." Sophie started. "The Casterwills are an age old clan, whom's roots reach up to the ancient times. They weren't just rich, they were seekers. Their leader, Sir Casterwill, fought five hundred years against the nullifiers. These were really bad monsters, who wanted the destruction of mankind. He managed to win, by bringing the titans on earth with the ancinetamulet of will. The Casterwills survived these times, but many were killed and hunted. That's why our clan isn't as big as it was anymore. The Casterwills know many secrets about the seeker's world and ancient spells and titans."

"Huh?! And I'm part of that clan? Who is their leader?" She said excited.

"Haha, yeah you are. Their leader...It's me. I'm the leader of the Casterwills, representing the nobles. There are other represesidentores, like: the house of strategies, knowledge, blade makers and the rune guardians." Sophie finished.

"Wow! I wonder which part I come from..."

"You'll find out, i'm sure." Lok surprisingly said.

Alexandria smiled at him and then found Den looking at her.

"Why do you give me this look?" She snapped.

"Why didn't you tell me that you were a seeker? And why did you change you surname? I've known you as Bellevue." Den asked, disappointment clearly evident in his eyes.

"So I should've just said: Hey, Den, look, this is a boltflare and scared the hell out of you? Yeah, sure! And my mother was a Casterwill! When she died, I took the name of my father. But since he disappeared and I have a closer connection to my mother, I took her name. What is wrong with that?!" She exclaimed.

"I thought, you could've just told me, then we could've discovered that world together." He said.

"Together?! YOU left ME!" She screamed. Now she definitely was angered.

Den's eyes widened upon her sudden outburst and he lowered his head. Guilt crept up his face.

"I'm sorry..." He mumbled and looked her in the eyes.

But those eyes were full of blank coldness. No emotion. Not even sadness could be seen.

"It's a bit late for that, isn't it, Den..." She replied and averted her eyes.

"Now, now, let's not fight." Dante said and tried to calm the teens. "We have another thing to discuss about."

He looked to Zhalia and mentioned for her to speak.

All eyes turned towards her and waited.

"I'll leave today afternoon." She calmly said, expression indifferent.

"You leave?! Where?" Lok exclaimed.

"I'll go to Vienna and I'll be back in three days latest." She explained.

"Vienna? What is there so-" But he couldn't finish because he was interrupted.

"Lok!" Sophie said.

The strawberry blonde girl already guessed, what her teammate wanted in Vienna. And soon Lok came to the same conclusion.

"Take care of yourself." Den said. Worry glistened in his eyes.

"I will." She replied, the ghost of a smile gracing her features.

They talked for another half hour, until Zhalia went to the airport. Alexandria stayed a bit longer.

 **Vienna, Austria**

 **Huntik foundation HQ**

 **Prison**

 **5:00 PM**

After Zhalia left the airport, she quickly headed to the foundation HQ.

To say, she felt uneasy, you've been a complete understatement. She wasn't sure what to expect froths visit. It could end in screaming, forgiving or making it all worse, than it already was. She also didn't really know, what to say. But she decided to just go with her gut feeling.

After a walk of five minutes, she reached the prison and politely asked for Klaus.

"Cell number 156." A guard said.

She nodded and made her way. She must admit, that those so called 'prisons' weren't all that terrible. It had a lot of light and the cell was big enough to run around.

But, it was still a cell.

Another guard opened the door to the room, where the cell was placed and said "Klaus, you have a visitor."

Said man looked up, and the same instant his eyes bulged out of his sockets.

"Zhalia?!" He exclaimed.

"Hello, Klaus." She answered as she walked closer to his cell.

His eyes merely softened upon seeing her. How many month has it been, since he last saw her?

"What are you doing here?" He asked.

"Taking care of some business." She replied coldy.

This didn't pass unnoticed to Klaus. He knew what was coming now.

"How are you?" Zhalia asked him.

"Pretty good, well aside from being stuck in here." He slightly chuckled.

She lifted an eyebrow.

"Good."

"And you?"

"Well, there are a few things troubling me." She said.

"So?"

"First of all, I'd like to talk with you. You know, the past…" She calmly said, though he new, that under the surface, a storm was raging.

"Zhalia, I'm so sorry…" He started, but she interrupted him.

"No! I want to know, what you think of me!"

Well, that surprised him. But it was a good question. What did he think of her? He raised her, taught her how to live, what to look after…But what exactly did he felt for her?

"Zhalia, I practically raised you. And well, we both know our relationship was twisted. The organization didn't help that and then Vale…"

"That doesn't explain anything! Klaus, I know you had your orders, but you made me follow your every order! You made me suffer! Told me lies! I thought I was done getting betrayed, but you weren't even able, to see, that I'm changing! I followed you, because you saved my life back then! But you shamelessly ignored that! You ignored that I was just a helpless little girl! You literally 'formed' me into what you wanted! I thought I finally could live in peace! How wrong I was! It was all full of lies!" She started yelling at him, letting her anger take over her.

He remained silent. He didn't know, when she unlocked his cell and came in, but he knew, he needed to finally tell her the truth. There was no way out now.

"Zhalia, please listen to me. There's one thing, I didn't tell you all these years…" He said.

"And what the hell would that be?" She snarled.

"Please!" He once more said, his eyes pleading.

"Fine!"

He mentioned her, to sit on the chair next to his.

"Ten years ago, when I found you, I didn't take you with me, because I thought you had great potential. From the very beginning, it was a personal matter. When I saw you there, on the streets, crying over your bad life, but then standing up and fighting to protect your food…back then you reminded me of someone. My daughter.

I never married, but my girlfriend got pregnant, but kept it a secret, until I found out. I only saw my daughet for two years…then my ex-girlfriend decided to move away and took her with me…without even telling me! I was at a loss of words and my despair only grew! At that time, I was already a member of the organization, but with the loss of my daughter, I started getting crazy! That's why I decided to become a scientist and make experiments. I worked hard, and soon I found myself as one of the top agents. Around five years later, I found you. I was so surprised of you, that I allowed myself to take a closer look at you. I didn't know what made me do that, guess it was instinct, but I did it. And after seeing and observing you, I came to realize, that you looked familiar to me. I thought: Okay, Klaus, this must be some kind of trick from your brain. Well, it turned out, it wasn't. You really were familiar. Your eyes reminded me of my ex-girlfriend..." He stated and took a break.

She just sat there, a terrified expression of her face.

Could it be? No, right? But, it seems so true...

"You can't mean...?" She started.

He slightly nodded his head.

"Yes, Zhalia. You're my daughter!" He said and for the first time in over five years, his grey eyes lit up with something like love.

"This can't me true! This is...No! You're just fooling me!" She screamed, trying to process that information.

"Lia...please..." He tried, but she quickly cut him short.

"Oh, don't you dare calling me like this!" She yelled, as he called her by the nickname, he once had given her.

Klaus remained silent, but what he did next, surprised not only Zhalia, but himself too.

He pulled her in an embrace. Like on the photo, back in her room.

"Klaus?!" She managed to choke out.

"Zhalia...I know, I'm the most terrible father...! And you have every right to be mad at me! But don't think, that I never loved you!

When I found out, that you're indeed my daughter, I didn't know what to do. The two years, we shared, weren't enough to gave me security as being a father. But I tried it nonetheless, because seeing you suffer made me sad. But I also had my orders. The professor wasn't very pleased by you, until he saw your potential. He allowed me to raise and train you, but he never allowed me to be your father.

As a child, we didn't had much fight. You were little, believe pretty much and you were just relieved to be away from the streets. But when you grew older and became a sense for life, it all changed. You still followed me, but you created your own way of living an making decisions.

And then there was this mission with Vale. You were the prefect agent, an excellent spy, and what happened? You fell in love!

Believe me, at that moment, I thought I'm turning insane!

Sure, I was angry at you, for betraying me, because I tried to give you everything. But to tell the truth, this wasn't even the point. I was afraid! You know, what the professor could've done to you, if I didn't protect you from him?! He could've killed you! What choice did I have?! I couldn't afford to loose you again, so my only way was, making it even harder for you. Putting you under enormous pressure! That was never meant to hurt you! I just wanted to protect you! You're my daughter after all!" He exclaimed, holding her tight in his arms.

Zhalia's eyes widened out of realisation and pain.

He never wanted to hurt me? This seemed to perfect, to be true.

"Are you sure?" She whispered.

"Yes. Zhalia, I'm so sorry!" He said, as he pulled her even closer.

"I'm sorry too. Can you forgive me?" She hushed.

"I already did! But can you forgive me?" He answered, hope could be heard in his voice.

"I think yes...but it'll need some time..." She replied.

"You have every time you need."

"Can I ask you something?" She said and loosened the embrace.

She looked him in the eyes, and if he was not mistaken, he could've sworn, there was a wet glance.

"Sure."

"Do you know someone named Annabelle Josephine du Pont?" She asked him.

"Mhmm...Ah yes, of course, the old legend! But actually, it isn't a legend. She was a seeker in despair...Why?" He explained.

"Because we think, she might has reawaken. We already got attacked by some new enemies..." Zhalia said.

"Oh, no...This is bad...Sadly, I don't posses any useful informations...Not even in my lab." He sighed.

"Well, thank you anyways. I was worth a try." She answered and a small smile tugged at her lips.

"If there is anything, that pops into my mind, you'll be the first one to know." He assured her.

"Okay. Thanks...Well, I guess I should take my leave then...It's already late." She said and stood up.

He nodded and stood up too.

She walked out of the door and locked it.

Then she turned around and wanted to leave, but was held back by Klaus' hand grabbing her arm.

"Wait...There's something I want to give you." He said and searched in his pockets.

After a few seconds, he pulled an amulet out.

"A titan? I thought prisoners weren't supposed to have titans with them." Zhalia remarked.

"I know, but well, I like to break the rules." He chuckled. "This is not a normal titan. She's called Soulfriend, and she can help her seeker bond with other more difficult titans, by speaking with them. She can also calm down enemy titans, by singing a soft, beguiling melody."

Zhalia took the amulets in her hands and immediately felt a purple-blue aura surrounding her.

"Great, you bonded with her! Take her with you, you're going to need her sooner or later." Klaus explained.

Zhalia nodded gratefully. She was about to turn around, when she was stopped by him once more.

"Zhalia, I love you, do you know that?" He said, and for the first time in their time together, he really smiled.

A true smile, not that creepy one.

She walked to the door of the room; but before she went out, she turned around and said "I love you too, Daddy."

With that, she went out and left a startled Klaus behind.

 **Outside the foundation HQ**

 **Vienna, Austria**

 **8:00 PM**

Zhalia walked along the empty streets of Vienna, when she suddenly heard a noise.

Immediately, her senses were on high alert and her left hand found Gareon's amulet.

But it was too late.

Suddenly something like boltflare hit her in the stomach, making her crash with the wall behind her.

As soon as she got up, a hand grabbed her neck, another on captured her hands. That way, she couldn't move.

The man holding her, slowly intensified his pressure around her neck, making her gasp.

His low, dark voice echoed through the little alley, they were in.

"Where is Alexandria?" he asked dangerously.

That was the last thing she heard, before ehe passed out.

 _To be continued..._

* * *

 **And this is the end of chapter 5! I'm so, so sorry, that you had to wait so long for this chapter! I had a bad week, because eI was really stressed and I had a lack of time and ideas to write! On top of that, our network connection in the village didn't work, so I couldn't upload anything! Gods, I was so angry! Please, forgive me! I hope you liked it! I know, the part with Klaus, may be a little strange, but I had the feeling, he had a soft spot for her, and the idea with him being her real father, was something I couldn't let go of for a long time!**

 **Well, please** **review and give me some feedback!**

 **Hope you enjoyed it!**

 **Love**

 **Athena**


	6. Chapter 6

**Author's note:**

 **Hello and welcome back, dear readers! Thank you for the nice reviews! So, this chapter is going to create mysteries and maybe solve some...**

 **Just see for yourself! And as always: Enjoy and have fun!**

 **Note: Special** **thanks to IreneRays, you helped me create this chapter... :)**

 **\- Lady Athena of Olymp**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Huntik: Secrets and Seekers nor the characters. But I own my OC's and the plot.**

* * *

 **Chapter 6: One step forward, two steps back**

 **Around 9:00 PM**

 **Somewhere under Vienna, Austria**

It was dark and cold. And it smelled rotten and polluted. There were water droplets falling from the ceiling and onto the shoulders of a blue-haired woman.

After Zhalia found herself passing out, due to the attack of that stranger, she was being taken away to some underground room. She was currently chained on a small wooden chair, her hair wet from the water falling on her. Her stomach hurt like hell and burned. She found herself having a hard time breathing. The thick air didn't help much either.

Slowly she opened her eyes and looked around.

The room was lighted with weak, green light and the walls were wet. It smelled like she was in the canalisation, and the small room she was in, only confirmed her suspicion.

As her eyes adjusted to the darkness, she made out a figure in front of her.

"So, you finally woke up." A deep, male voice said.

It was the same voice of the man that kidnapped her. It was strangely familiar, but she couldn't match to whom it belonged.

"Who are you?" She asked huskily.

"Don't you recognize me? Maybe you should take a closer look…?" The man said.

Zhalia did as told and upon realizing, who spoke, she gasped.

"Brian?! Is that you?" She said.

"So, you didn't forget me after all…" He said.

In front of her stood a man, tall and muscular, with chocolate brown hair, brown-green eyes and a long scar, gracing his neck. His face wasn't entirely ugly, but you couldn't call it handsome either.

He had a mean smirk lying on his lips, his brows twitched as he observed the woman in front of him.

She was a beauty, yes, but that wasn't the reason he captured her.

No, he wanted something else.

"Why aren't you wearing a suit?" Zhalia asked, curiosity lacing her voice.

This man is a member of the organization, and they often worked together. He never wore anything else, except his suit.

"Why? I thought foundation seekers do not wear suits…" He said, his smirk growing even wider as he saw her surprised look.

"The foundation? Don't tell me- Wait, what?!" She couldn't form a coherent sentence.

"Yes, Zhalia Moon, that's right, I'm a full fledged member of the foundation."

"This can't be! How?!"

"Well, it wasn't exactly my own decision…But that doesn't matter right now!"

"Then what do you want from me?"

"I want Alexandria Casterwill!" He said. His expression turned serious again.

"Why?" She asked.

"Because she's the key."

"The key? The key to what?"

"None of your business."

"Well, you kidnapped me…so it is my business!"

"Listen! I'm not here to chitchat with you! You're going to help me, if you like it or not!" He demanded.

"Why would I do that?" She asked, expression hard.

"You don't want your precious Dante Vale to get hurt, do you?" He replied, smirking evilly.

Her eyes widened imperceptibly. She knew, he was serious, but she refused to believe him.

"Show me."

"As you wish." He said, still smirking.

With a short wave of his hand, a small 'sphere' appeared, where Dante could be seen.

He was at home, doing something on his holotome. But unnoticed by him, everywhere around his house were suits. Ready to attack. Even Dante Vale wouldn't stand a chance against twenty or more suits.

"And what do you want me to help you with?" She asked.

He smirked again; she agreed.

"Let's go on a mission. Like in the good old times. You need to help me find a certain thing, and in return, I won't hurt Vale. After we found that thing, you're going to tell me Alexandria's location."

"Okay, fine, I'll go on a mission with you. But if this mission endangers my team or the foundation, in any way possible, then you're a dead man!" Zhalia retorted.

"Agreed! But if you, Lady Moon, blow up MY mission, you're one dead lady more!" He grinned.

"Yeah, as if you would do that..."

"Don't underestimate me! You're not the most important person in my life..."

"Oh, now I'm hurt...!" She laughed sarcastically.

"Now, Brian, you mind letting me go of these 'handcuffs'?" She said, tilting her head.

"Give me a kiss for it!" He demanded, still grinning like a complete idiot. Well, at least in Zhalia's opinion, he was one.

"Hah! As if!"

"Well, it was worth a try...!" He said and cut trough her handcuffs, which were made out of a rope.

"How long will this mission last?" She asked.

"Depends on how successful we are, on how many dangers await us and if you do, what I say...!"

"Because, I said my team, I'll be back in at least three days...if this mission lasts any longer, they'll start to worry and get suspicious." Zhalia explained.

"Then you just lie to them..." He proposed and walked towards the door.

"I won't lie to them..." She whispered, as she remembered the past.

I was still a miracle to her, that the team had forgiven her. After all they've gotten through, she's still blaming herself. She decided to never lie to them again. She won't break their friendship ever again...

"You really have gotten soft, haven't you?" He said and waved his hand, indicating her to follow him.

"Shut up!"

"No really, I'm mean, the old Zhalia wouldn't have given a damn on what others say! Has this Vale guy changed you so much?" He asked, his voice suddenly getting softer.

"I said SHUT UP!" Zhalia shouted.

"Haha, after all, the old you didn't disappeared so much. But seriously Zhalia..." He said and suddenly stopped in his tracks and turned around to her. "What do you really feel for this man?" His voice was by now, soft and full of care, but if one listened closely, one could hear disapproval.

"That's none of your business!" Zhalia snapped.

"Oh come on!"

"Jealous?" She said, a mischievous smile gracing her features.

"Maybe..." He gave back and walked out the door and guided her to the wet ladder, that led them out of the canalisation.

"Everfight!" Zhalia muttered, before she climbed up the ladder.

After they came out, Brian turned to Zhalia and said "Tomorrow, 8:00 PM airport Vienna. Bring some clothes for hot weather and good shoes with you."

Then he's gone away and left Zhalia wondering, what exactly happened today.

First Klaus telling her, he was her real father, then getting kidnapped and to top it, she now needs to go on mission, with some stupid ex-suit, which, by the way, was once a close friend to her.

Great, this is going to be fun...

 **Airport**

 **Vienna, Austria**

 **8:00 PM**

To say, Zhalia was annoyed, would've been beyond understatement.

She angrily walked around, mentally cursing Brian.

There he said, she should be on time and now he was the one being late! Argh, men!

Just as she was about to let another frustrated groan out, Brian appeared before her eyes.

"Speaking of the devil..." she muttered.

"Hey, Zhalia!" He said, grinning stupidly.

"Hey. You are late!" She said, her face clearly showing her annoyance.

"Yeah, I'm sorry. I forgot to get the map, of where we go to..." He replied.

She nodded, stepped forward and knocked three times against his head.

"What was that for?" He asked,

"Well, I wanted to make sure, it doesn't sound hollow, but actually it did. You just proved, that there is no brains inside your thick head." She calmly responded.

"Sarcastic and mean as always. Come on, let's go!" He said and turned away.

"First coming late and then giving orders...his arrogance will someday get the best of me." She mumbled and followed him.

As the walked towards the check-in, the loudspeaker announced, that the plane for flight 45 to Turkey was ready to move in.

"We're heading to Turkey?" Zhalia curiously asked him.

"The amazons village, precisely."

"Why?"

"Because the old amazons, who live there, know more than they show." He explained.

"I already had my experiences with them...they won't let you in!" She said.

"I know. But you and your team saved them, so they'll trust you." He reasoned.

"I won't be too sure about that..."

"Whatever! We just need to get in, no matter how!"

"Hey, just to make it clear: I'm to going to do anything reckless, that would weaken the trust, the foundation has in me, understood?!" She exclaimed.

"No worry, princess! I'll make sure you're safe...!" He said and started chuckling.

"What exactly should your grave stone look like?" She said, with her voice low, as she shot him death glare.

"I think I'm in no need of that, yet..."

"Oh, but you soon will, if you don't shut your big mouth! My point clear?!"

"Okay, okay!" He said, hands held up in a defending matter.

They remained mostly silent during their flight, simply following their own thoughts.

 **Forest of the amazons,** **Turkey**

 **Forest path**

 **Around 4:00 PM**

After they arrived somewhere in the forests with a smaller plane, they used a map to find the path, they were currently walking along. It was deep in the forest, but you could walk on it, without further problems.

The climate was was humid and you could hear birds whistling from everywhere. Soon a clearing could be seen, and after walking a few more minutes, they finally saw the first temples of the amazons.

But upon entering, they were immediately surrounded by easily ten women.

Zhalia sighed. This was familiar.

"Who are you, intruders? And what do you want in our sacred village?" The oldest of them demanded.

"We're not here to fight you or intrude your village! You might recognise me." Zhalia calmly answered.

The amazons seemed to think for a moment and closely observed Zhalia.

"Yes, of course. You're the woman who knew all our greetings and traditions, and the one who fought our queen, Hippolyta." The oldest said.

Zhalia nodded.

"What brings you here? And what does this man here? He's not welcomed!" Another woman asked.

"Well, I'm here, because I think, you might can help me with something. I need more informations about an old legend. It isn't for selfish desires, it's about the safety of the world, that, by the way, also includes your village.

And this man, is old friend of mine, who also needs these informations." Zhalia explained.

"Mhmm...We don't like to see men in our village. But for this time, and only because you're a seeker and helped us, we grant entry." The oldest said.

"Thank you very much. We appreciate that gesture!" Zhalia friendly said.

Brian just rolled his eyes.

"Follow us." A young female said as the others led the way.

"Didn't know, you could be polite!" Brian joked.

"Just shut up, will you?" Zhalia retorted annoyed.

Brian just chuckled.

The oldest and second strongest female, led them into the village and directly to queen Hippolyta.

The queen remembered Zhalia and friendly welcomed them.

"Welcome to our village, friends! I shall grant you entry and hospitality here! However, we have our rules here, and for the safety of us an the village, I shall banish you, if you dare to break these rules." She announced. "Now, you may tell me your wishes and what you're looking for."

Brian stepped forward, bowed his head and the looked the queen in the eyes.

"Queen Hippolyta! Did you hear about the legend 'Annabelle Josephine du Pont'?"

"Yes, I know about it. What's the matter?" She curiously asked.

"The legend says, that when Annabelle's daughter's death, marks for the 700th time, her mother will destroy the world out of despair and anger. We have informations, that this time, most likely will come this winter. We need the secrets, you're village hides." Brian explained.

"Secrets? Why would I want to share them with you?" Hippolyta asked.

"Because it's very important! We really NEED those secrets!" Brian impatiently said.

"This seems like it's important especially for you. Are you personally involved?" The queen sternly demanded.

It was obvious, that she wouldn't give them any informations, that wouldn't be used for the world's safety only.

"NO, I'm not!" Brian exclaimed.

The amazons looked suspicious now.

 _This isn't going well. Brian is going to mess it up, if I won't do anything..._ Zhalia thought to herself.

"I apologise for my friend's rude behaviour!" Zhalia started and patted Brian's shoulder. "He probably is tired from the long flight and doesn't know, what he's saying. We really need all information we can get! We were already in the National Library of France and got a book from there. It was the only one, so we borrowed it for a while. But we sadly had to realise, that the book didn't contain nay useful information. It was all about the legend, nothing more. So we hoped, that we could find something here, since you're known as to have great knowledge about old stuff."

Zhalia tried her best to remain calm and polite, even if her impatience grew with every second.

"Mhmm...I accept! You may are allowed, to enter our secret chamber! But there will be guards outside the door!" Hippolyta announced, after she thought for am moment.

At least, she seemed to trust Zhalia.

After that conversation, the amazons led them to the chamber and the two seekers went in. As she made sue, no one was listening, Zhalia asked Brian " You aren't really personally involved, right?"

Brian averted his eyes and looked down.

"Really?! You are?! How could you possibly not the me that? What is there personal?" Zhalia angrily shouted.

"There's nothing!"

"Tell me now!" She said.

He sighed.

"Okay, listen. There's another part of the legend, which isn't really known.

To completely release her bottled up anger, Annabelle decided she would want to have a human sacrifice for her daughter. That will also activate her powers and give her full strength. This sacrifice, should look like her daughter and come from a rich family. The du Pont family.

Like the Casterwills, the du Pont clan, exists since centuries.

The girl selected for that, will receive a special note on her 16th birthday. And I know this girl." He said.

"You know her?! Who is she?" Zhalia exclaimed.

"My sister."

"You're sister? Wait a sec, that means, you're a du Pont?" Zhalia asked, disbelief lacing her voice.

"Yes. And if I won't find another sacrifice, she'll die!" He said determinedly.

"Okay...Wait, you said something about Alexandria being the key? You don't want to sacrifice her instead?!" She shouted.

"Yes, I do! She's a Casterwill after all, rich and royal."

"You can't do that, she's innocent!"

"MY SISTER TOO!"

"Brian..."

"And this Alexandria holds more secrets that you know...She's dangerous."

"What do you mean?"

"You'll know, when you open that chest."

 _To be continued..._

* * *

 **So, this was chapter six! I hope you liked it!**

 **I'm really sorry, that you had to wait this long, I had a tough week with my new school. So next chapter, probably needs long too... :(**

 **Thanks for all the nice reviews, especially guest reviews too!**

 **Love you all!**

 **Please review! Until next time. :)**


	7. Chapter 7

**Author's note:**

 **...I'm so sorry! *bows head* This new school sucks my energy out, and I have a hard time dealing with it...but here's the new chapter and I hope you all are going to enjoy it!**

 **Have fun!**

 **\- Lady Athena of Olymp**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Huntik:Secrets ans Seekers nor the characters. But I own my OC's and the plot.**

* * *

 **Chapter 7: When future calls me**

 **Village of the amazons, Turkey**

 **Secret Chamber**

 **4:30 PM**

*bum* *bum* *bum*

Zhalia's heart was pounding hard against her chest. She wasn't sure, what Brian meant by _'You'll see, when you open that chest'..._ Was her team in danger? She didn't know, what to make out of Brian's words. She shouldn't even be here! What if this Alexandria was really dangerous? Would her team notice?

These questions were hurting Zhalia's head, as Brian slowly opened the chest.

Carefully, as if he feared, it would explode any time soon.

Brian and Zhalia held there breaths, as they saw what was in the chest.

In the chest was nothing, except of a picture and something that looked like a diary.

"Is this everything?!" Brian shouted.

"Calm down!" Zhalia said "Look at the picture!"

Brian indeed looked at the picture now and gasped.

There was a beautiful woman in her mid-twenties, that looked exactly like Annabelle. At her right side, holding her right hand, was a child, not older than seven. With long, dar-blonde hair and green eyes.

If Zhalia eyes still did their job, she saw there a younger version of Alexandria.

Brian turned the picture around and his eyes grew even wider.

There stood _'Lady Annabelle Josephine du Pont and her niece Alexandria Katharina Casterwill. Oil picture from **1304** by Mark Main.' _

What the heck is this?!" Brian shouted.

Zhalia just stood there, dumbfounded and not believing her own eyes. The year **1304**?! How is this possible?! If this is Alexandria, then how old is she really?!

Questions over questions were hunting the both. No one was sure what to ask or what to say. Until Brian spoke up "Zhalia...We got some serious trouble!"

Zhalia turned around and faced him, a slight hint of fear visible in her hazel orbs. "What do you mean?" she asked, but she already knew, what was going to come.

"Zhalia..." Brian said "If Alexandria is Annabelle's niece, she could be equally dangerous! She could be a threat!"

"Do you think, I don't know that?!" Zhalia shouted. "My whole team is in danger! And I'm here in Turkey! Stuck with you, somewhere at the end of the world!" Zhalia realeased her bottled up uneasiness.

"Zhaal..." Brian tried, though calling her by her nickname was a huge mistake.

"Don't you dare calling me like that! Only one person is allowed to..." Zhalia shouted back.

This was the moment, when Brian did the only rational thing, that popped into his mind. Even if one would question, how rational it really is.

He pulled her in his arms and held her tight to his chest.

"What the heck, Brian?!" By now, Zhalia was loosing all her patience. And this was rare.

"I'm sorry, Zhalia. For dragging you here...After all, it's my business! It's my sister being in danger, not yours. I'm sorry!"

"So there is still some old Brian left in you?" Zhalia chuckled.

"Why would you think, I'm a new Brian?" He retorted.

"Because the old Brian, would've asked me for this mission, not kidnapping me."

"Yeah, sorry about that...!" He said.

"You can make up for it, if you let me go and tell me everything about you."

Brian sighed and let her go.

"It's complicated, Zhalia. Back then, when I was still a member of the organization, everything was so much easier. I already told you a few years ago, that my parents died early. So my sister and I lived together. I loved her so much! She's now a beautiful, 16 year old girl, smart and genuine and gentle. But as she got sixteen, she got that letter...

A few years ago, I joined the foundations. Not because I wanted it, but because I had the feeling, that I needed to. Somewhere deep inside me, I knew, that my sister was the one. So, I found, that it would be better, if I would fight on the good side, instead of the bad one. To prevent a second war between the foundation and the organisation." Brian told her.

Zhalia remained silent and listened to him an his rather confusing story.

"Zhalia, I'm so sorry...that I left so suddenly...you had to endure Klaus all by yourself...If I only knew, you would change sides..." Brian said and lowered his head.

"Let's not talk about that...I can't say, I forgave you! But I can say, that it wasn't all that bad with Klaus, he's my father after all..."

"Yeah, but not your real-" He stopped as he saw the look in her eyes.

"No way, he's your-"

"Say one more word, and you're a dead man!" Zhalia snapped and glared at him.

"How are you're titans? I heard you managed to bend King Basilisk?" Brian changed the topic.

"They're fine, let's not talk about that either." Zhalia declared.

She knew, Brian was curious about her special bond with her titans, but she still didn't trust him. It would've been a great mistake, to tell him her little secret.

"So, what are you planning to do now, Brian? You're sister's in danger, because that Annabelle chose her as a sacrifice, and Alexandria is her niece. We don't know anything about the 'du Ponts'. We all could be in potential danger, and they're a threat, if we like it or not!" Zhalia said and tilted her head, waiting for an answer.

"I can't afford to let my sister die! But I can't let this Alexandria randomly die too!" Brian said desperate.

"Yeah..."

"How about we work together?" Brian suddenly asked.

"What?" Zhalia didn't trust her ears anymore. Did this guy really asked that?

"I mean, I could find more out about this Annabelle, while you keep an eye on Alexandria. That way, we can inform us and exchange news." Brian explained.

 _That actually isn't a bad idea...But can I trust him? He changed sides..But I too..._ Zhalia thought.

Eventually she agreed, thinking it was the best she could do at the moment. _I need to ensure the team's safety..._

"Then let's get that diary and the picture and go out of this forest! I can't stand this place!" Brian complained.

"Boys..."

 **Back in the plane**

 **On the way back to Vienna (supposedly)**

 **6:00 PM**

Zhalia was carefully reading the diary, while Brian as sitting beside her, scanning the picture with his holotome.

A whole lot of unnecessary informations were in there. Mostly of how Annabelle met her husband, how she fell in love and the pregnancy. Nothing that lead to a clue, of where she was, what she was doing and what would be her intentions, apart form revenge. But this diary seemed to show, that Annabelle was a good, lovely woman. Nothing evil.

Zhalia was getting frustrated. Why wasn't there anything? Does this woman even exist? Well, she needs to, but it was just so dark...everything is unclear and dusty, like an old library...

Suddenly, Zhalia felt like something didn't seem right. She looked out of the window and then turned to Brian. "This is not Austria! Where are we?" She glared angry, but her expression remained indifferent.

"We're making a halt in Paris. There's something you need to see." Brian calmly answered and looked a the data, his holotome calculated.

Zhalia stayed quiet and waited until he told her about the data.

"The picture isn't laced with any kind of traceable magic. At least not one known to us. But something's still off. The holotome doesn't recognise the artist of the picture...I also kind find him in any way...like he was never born...that's suspicious!" Brian told her.

Zhalia narrowed her eyes and sat back in her seat. This was going to be a long flight.

After some cruel hours of flying in bitter silence, the two of them finally reached Paris.

Brian immediately dragged her to the foundation HQ and asked for a special key. Zhalia grew even more suspicious.

"Now, don't look as if I plan a murder or something!" Brian said and pouted.

"You kidnapped me, did you foget that?" Zhalia replied, clearly annoyed by his childish behaviour.

"But...ah, forget it! Arguing with you is still useless!" Brian exclaimed. "I want to show you a titan, Zhalia."

"A titan?"

"Yes, come on, we don't have much time to fool around. Your three days nearly end."

"I know that better than you!" Zhalia snorted.

Brian turned left and walked into a long gallery of ancient glass sculptures and painting, indicating that this must be some kind of museum sector of the HQ. At the end of the gallery was a door with an automatic securtity lock, which recuired a code. Brian swiftly tiped the code in, took the key form his pocket and unlocked the door.

They went inside, and Zhalia was greeted by and all too familiar sight. And she wished, she would never see it again.

"What are you doing here?! Get out! It's too dangerous here!" Shouted a young man, in his late twenties, with orange hair and a light beard.

He was fighting a titan. But it wasn't any ordinary titan. It was Arc. The legendary titan of fate.

The eyes of the titan glowed yellow, as they always did, when the titan left his amulet on his own.

The ginger-haired man held Arc's ring in his hands, shaking form head to toe, while the titan was furious and threw things around, like it was about to go crazy.

"Brian, what are we doing here?" Zhalia shouted, as she dodged a flying chair.

"Arc! Zhalia, your secret. I know, you won't tell me any details, but you need to get Arc's ring!"

"Do you honestly believe, I can just go there?! It's Arc we're talking about! That titan is uncontrollable!" Zhalia angrily replied.

Clemens hid behind the ruined desk, trying to find cover from the raging titan.

"Zhalia, you need to! This titan gets us killed!" Brian shouted to Zhalia.

"That's why you brought us here? To get me bonded with an 'impossible to bond' titan?" Zhalia yelled in disbelief.

By now, the scene confronting them, really turned ugly.

Zhalia and Brian were shielding themselves with Armorbrand, while Arc managed to catch Clemens.

"If anything happens to the HQ, I'll make you pay for it!" Zhalia shouted towards Brian, as she ran to where Arc strangled the poor Clemens.

"Where is the ring, Clemens?!" She shouted.

The ginger-haired male couldn't answer, so he merely pointed under the desk.

Zhalia quickly used bubblelift to get the ring and then felt the familiar rush of energy as she was put into a nightmare.

 **Zhalia's nightmare**

It _was dark. No light could be seen, as Zhalia walked along the streets of Venice._

 _"Where am I?" She asked herself. "Wait, Arc! That damn titan!"_

 _She cursed herself for being so foolish to get caught by Arc._

 _"I should've known better, that trusting Brian..." She muttered._

 _"Yeah, I thought you were a better seeker!" A male voice echoed._

 _She immediately turned around and saw Brian in front of her._

 _"What the hell are you doing here?" She asked._

 _"You're so mean, Zhaal. After all, I'm still a part of your heart. Else I wouldn't be here." He said and a smug smirk tugged at his lips._

 _"That's past!"_

 _"And the past is known for hunting us forever. Because nothing really dies! That were your words, my love." He answered._

 _"What is your purpose here? Just reminding me of past mistakes? Thanks, no need."_

 _"Oh, I came to show you something." He said and mentioned for a fountain a few feet away from them._

 _Zhalia walked behind him and as they reached the fountain, it started spraying the water high in the air._

 _"Isn't it beautiful?" He asked._

 _"Is that all you wanted me to see?"_

 _"Of course not, my love! Look in it."_

 _Zhalia did as she was told and immediately regretted it._

 _What she saw, made cold chills ran down her spine._

 _ **"** She saw herself fighting for her life, all her titan invoked and barely able to stand on her own two feet. Her friends were occupied by their own enemies. _

_An army of strange men gathered around them in a circle. They looked like deer-hunters or something like that, with evil faces, muscular and ugly._

 _"You can't fight us all!" One man said, grinning evilly._

 _"We have to get a way out of here!" Sophie shouted._

 _"And how?! We're surrounded!" Den replied, dodging some spells and fists._

 _Cherit shot one of his power-spells towards a titan, but it easily avoided it, like it was a fly._

 _They were surrounded by a crowd of bad people with no way out. **"**_

 _As Zhalia watched that scene, she asked herself, how something like this would be possible. The answer remained covered, but something else showed up._

 _ **"** Suddenly, only Zhalia and Dante were alone in the picture of the water. Dante was badly injured, after __saving Zhalia from three boltflares at once. His chest bled and he was coughing badly._

 _Zhalia turned around and did the only thing, she thought of. She took all her strength and summoned all her titans once again. Every single on elf her amulets glowed and it was taking her full willpower to control her strength. She was about to lose consciousness, but refused to give up so soon. She needed to go on._

 _She looked at her ring finger. A_ _beautiful, slivery ring glistened in the evening sunlight, a blue sapphire on top of it._

 _Zhalia inhaled deeply and screamed the name of the titan._

 _But it was too much._

 _After she managed to invoke it, she crashed onto the ground, holding her hand to where her heart was, breathing heavily._

 _"Zhalia! NO!" Dante screamed, but it was too late._

 _Her eyes closed in the blink of a second. **"**_

 _Zhalia just stood there, looking horrified at the scene, that the fountain displayed. That can't be true._

 _But Brian just proved otherwise._

 _"This isn't a rosy future, he?" He smirked._

 _"Is it funny for you? I'm in a dream, that shows my fate and in this dream, something shows my fate...That doesn't even make any sense!" Zhalia exclaimed._

 _"Oh, it does make sense! You just don't see it yet!" Brian calmly answered. "I need to go now, my love, but we'll meet soon again."_

 _And with that, the Brian in her dreams vanished._

 _Zhalia was still confused, but also determined. If that was her fate, she will change it! At least, she will save her team._

 _Suddenly she heard a whisper and turned around._

 _The titan form the scenes of the fountain, stood in all his glory in from of her. Blue hair waving in the wind and eyes glowing softly._

 _"My lady, I think it's time for you to go." The titan said, and held his hand out._

 _Zhalia took it without hesitation, even when she didn't know why._

 _Then everything was black again._

 **Arc's dream: end**

Zhalia slowly opened her heavy eyelids and groaned.

She found herself lying on the floor of the foundation HQ, her spine hurting from lying there so long.

As she sat up, she saw the destruction in the room she was in, and instinctively searched for Brian.

"Brian, where are you?" She asked in the room.

"He...He-...He's not here anymore..." Clemens stuttered.

 _He's gone? No way!_ Zhalia thought to herself.

"How did you manage to do that?" Clemens asked terrified.

"Doing what?" Zhalia asked and sensed a headache coming up.

"Bo-bonding with Arc...?"

"I did what?" She asked and then looked at her ring finger.

She gasped. Just as in her dream, a silvery ring with a sapphire was on her ring.

She could feel Arc's presence. It was strong and demanding, but not evil. AN edit was somehow friendly and soft.

"Arc...legendary titan of fate...why did you bond with me...?" Zhalia muttered under her breath and slowly stood up.

* * *

 **And this was chapter 7! I'm so sorry for not updating sooner...the next will probably take equally long...nonetheless, I hope you enjoyed it! :)**


	8. Chapter 8

**Author's note:**

 **Hello, my dear readers! :) Chapter 8 is here! I hope you're all doing well and will like this chapter!**

 **I appreciate all of your kind reviews, your continued support and the nice words!**

 **I also thank the guests, who like and read my** **story! :)**

 **And I'm reaaaallllllyyyy sorry that I haven't updated any sooner...I was busy like hell and had some tough weeks and my health lacks a bit right now...so please excuse the long delay...**

 **Love**

 **Your Athena**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Huntik: Secrets and Seekers nor the characters. But I own my OC's and the plot.**

* * *

 **Chapter 8: A secret kept hidden**

 **Paris, France**

 **Huntik foundation HQ**

 **8:00 PM**

Zhalia was still sitting on the ground go the HQ in Paris. Confusion was evident on her face and she slightly panted.

 _What was that?_ She asked herself and looked for Clemens.

When she found him, still hiding under the desk, she asked "Clemens, are you okay?"

"Yeah...I'm fine..." He said, his voice shaking. "How did you do that?"

"I...I don't know...it's mystery to my..." She said and shrugged her head. "But I warn you...If you tell this anyone, you'll meet my titans!"

"Of course, Miss Moon! i won't say anything!" Clemens hurriedly said and stood up. "But what can I say about this destruction?"

Zhalia thought for a moment an then decided to say "Say there was an intruder. Say, you didn't see his face or his appearance, because he shot a spell at you, before you could pull up some defence. I'll handle the rest."

"You will have to report this, Miss Moon. You were a witness." Clemens remarked and brushed some dust off his clothes.

"I know, and I said I'll handle it myself!" Zhalia snapped and turned around. "I'll be going. my team waits."

Clemens stood there, not knowing what to say and just watched how Zhalia left the room with long steps, her right hand shimmering.

After Zhalia left the HQ, she quickly got into a taxi and hurried for the airport.

She managed to catch a last minute ticket and went to the first flight going back to Venice.

It was now almost three days since she left the team, and now she decided to take a look on her phone.

And she instantly felt guilty.

There were a whole lot of messages from Dante and missed calls.

 _Hello Zhalia. How did your visit with Klaus go?_

 _Are you alright?_

 _When do you come back?_

 _Did anything happen?_

 _Zhalia were are you?_

 _Zhalia! The heck, what is taking you so long?_

 _Have you taken a hotel room?_

 _Are you still in Vienna? We worry over here!_

 _1 missed call form Dante Vale_

 _1 missed call from Dante Vale_

There were about 10 missed calls and around 50 messages.

Zhalia sighed and closed her phone. This wasn't good. They'll get suspicious and she hadn't the nerves to explain the everything.

But she knew, she had to inform them. At least Dante. Tell them, she's coming back.

She opened her phone once more and dialled Dante's number.

A few seconds later, the seeker's voice could be heard.

"Vale" Dante said, clearly not recognising the number.

"Dante, it's me." Zhalia whispered, her breath stuck in her throat.

"Zhalia?! My goodness, are you ok?" Dante's voice had gone higher and the concern and worry in his voice could not be overheard.

"Dante, I'm fine. I'm on my way back, juts wanted to tell you that..." Zhalia answered, praying that he wouldn't ask any further questions.

Oh but the universe just proved it otherwise.

"Zhalia, are you in the plane? What happened? We were so worried! Where were you? Why didn't you answer my messages?" Dante asked, his voice getting heavy.

"I will tell you, when I'm back. Trust me, everything's fine. I'm just tired, that's all." She replied, slight annoyance coming up.

"But...Okay...Come to my place then...the whole team is here, including Alexandria."

"Okay. See you soon." She said and hung up.

She sighed deeply and turned to look out of the window.

 _I'm such a bad friend...I need to lie to them again...and I don't want to...but what choice do I have? I can't trust Brian...I can't tell them about him...but should I just let them live without knowing the possible danger coming from Alexandria? At least Dante deserves to know..._

A few hours later, the plane landed in Venice and Zhalia took the first taxi-boat to drive her to Dante's house. The rest of the way she walked, sunken in her thoughts.

When she reached his house, she took a deep breath and knocked at the door.

Dante immediately opened, relief plastered all over his face.

"Zhalia! Finally! Come in!" He said and gestured her to come in.

She merely smiled and walked in.

"Do you want a coffee?" He asked.

"Actually, I could use one..." She said and saw how his eyes lit up upon that.

"Zhalia! You're back!" Lok exclaimed.

"Yeah...isn't this obvious?" She answered, sarcasm leaking from her voice, as she tried to lift the mood.

"Jeez...how about a simple hello?" Den said, a smirk tugging at his lips.

"Yeah, Zhalia!" Sophie agreed, a small chuckle escaping her.

"Hi!" Alexandria joined in and smiled friendly.

Zhalia merely nodded, keeping an eye on Alexandria.

Dante came back with a steaming cup of hot coffee and sat down beside her.

"Zhalia! How are you?" Cherit cheerily asked, after he helped Dante out.

"I'm fine guys." Zhalia told them and gladly took the coffee from Dante.

"What were you doing so long? Did anything happen? We were really worried, Zhalia!" Sophie asked her.

"There were a few...complications..." She answered and calmly nipped her coffee.

"Let's not overrun her..." Dante said and fixed her with his amber eyes. "How did your visit with Klaus go?"

Zhalia swallowed and turned her attention to the little table in front of her.

"It was quite a surprise..." She finally said.

"What do you mean by that?" Den inquired.

"Let's just say...it answered me a lot of questions...and it was not as bad as I though it could've been...but..I don't want to talk about it..."

"Why? We're your friends, Zhalia! You can tell us! Sophie said and looked at her with a smile.

But Dante knew better than to allow this.

"If she doesn't want to, then we should respect that..." He said and looked at her, a slight smile gracing his features, but Zhalia immediately realised the concern in his eyes.

"Thanks..." She answered, gladly that this topic was off the table.

"But, what took you so long?" Sophie then asked further.

"As I said...there were a few complications..." Zhalia said, her voice low.

"I guess, you encountered some of those hunters, right?" Dante asked.

He clearly knew, she was hiding something, and the way she looked at him, made him understand, that this was a topic for only the two of them.

"Yeah...it wasn't exactly a pleasant encounter..." She answered.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Den asked her curiously.

"Well...they sure are on another level...I only managed to beat them, because an old friend helped me."

 _At least the part with the old_ _friend isn't a lie..._ Zhalia thought.

"An old friend? Not from the organisation, right?!" Sophie exclaimed and already thought of the worst.

Zhalia rolled her eyes, her face staying emotionless.

"Sophie, let her take a breath..." Cherit said and tried to ease the mood.

"He _was_ a member of the organisation...but now...well, he had a touch life...and now he changed sides...He told me, he was now a member of the foundation, but I'm not sure about that yet...fact is, he isn't an agent anymore!" Zhalia explained.

"But can we trust him?" Lok asked.

"I don't know...he was always a silent one...but he helped me! And I know him since my first years as a top agent...He was with me and Klaus...and that was reason enough, why I trusted him this time..." Zhalia responded.

"Whatever..." Sophie mumbled, but loud enough for Zhalia to hear.

"Could you at least enjoy the visit with your father?" Alexandria suddenly asked.

Zhalia merely lifted an eyebrow and closely observed the blonde female.

She sat there, completely calm, as if nothing happened. It was almost a calculated calmness. As if she knew, what Zhalia was doing this three days.

"He isn't my father...!" Zhalia coldly retorted. "He is just a former friend of mine!"

"A friend? Why do you go seeing him then?" Alexandria asked, though knowing that she was walking on extremely thin eyes.

"I don't think this is any of your business!" Zhalia snarled and looked at Dante.

"What have you guys been doing during my absence?" She asked him.

"Well, you mean apart from worrying about your well-being?" Dante asked, his eyes glistening with amusement and a mocking smirk tugging at his lips.

Zhalia smirked at that and just rolled her eyes. This man will never stop it...!

"We have been looking for new informations and collecting them, then Sophie found an old book in her library...but it is destroyed and she can't fit it with 'findshape', because it is protected. So she first needs to break the spell and this might take a bit of time. In the meantime, we went through the book from the library in Paris again, but we still can't find a single, useful clue..." Dante explained.

"Mhm...this is bad...I have the feeling, we're gonna run out of time..." Zhalia said and shook her head.

"I believe that too...!" Dante agreed and then faced the teens.

"It's quite late and you have university tomorrow...do you wanna stay here?" He asked them.

Sophie shook her head and smiled friendly at him.

"Thanks, Dante, but we pass. We'll see each other tomorrow!" She said and looked at Lok and Den, who both stood up and followed her to the door.

"Okay, take care on the streets!" Dante told them, before they said a goodbye to the other two females and left Dante's house.

"And you Alexandria, were do you stay?" He asked her.

"Well, I have an apartment her, so I'll take my leave as well. I'm glad your back safe, Zhalia." She told them and gave Zhalia a smile, though the midnight-blue haired woman didn't fall for it.

Zhalia nodded and watched her leave the house as well.

By now, it was already midnight.

Dante looked over at Zhalia and said "Do you want to talk?"

The woman sighed in defeat.

"I can't get out of it, right?" She asked, though she knew the answer right away.

"That's right!" He answered and chuckled slightly.

Then he got all serious again and said "Zhalia, what happened?"

"This is a ling story..."

"I have time...!"

"Okay...what do you wanna know first?" She asked.

"How did your encounter with Klaus go?"

Zhalia averted her eyes from him, not able to look him in the eyes.

"Klaus...Klaus is my real father, Dante..." She confessed.

For a moment, there was just plain silence between them, until he got closer to her and said "Are you okay with that?"

She was taken a bit by surprise, not expecting him to say that.

"Yeah...I am...I'm still a bit shocked by that, but I think, I will manage...I guess, it isn't as bad, as I originally thought it was..."

"I just hope he won't hurt you again...!" Dante whispered.

"It's okay, I can take care of it!" She said and tried to sound confident.

"And what happened then?"

"Well, as I left the the HQ, I was attacked by some strange men. Their leader was my former friend."

"But you said, you could trust him..." He inquired.

"Yeah, that was to refrain Sophie from accusing me of anything..." She said and sighed.

"Okay, go on!"

"So, then he managed to kidnap me and brought me to the canalisation. He told me, he was now a member of the foundation, and that he needed my help. I wanted to refuse, but when he said, it was related to Annabelle, I thought, I should give it a go. So, we flew to the amazons, cause he said, they would know many thing about Annabelle. So, then we were, had an argument, he told me his sister was in danger...and we found out, Annabelle has a niece...and yes...then we were supposed to get back to Venice, but instead we flew to Paris, because he needed to show me something...and well, that was it..." She explained.

 _I just hope, he doesn't realise that I skipped some significant details..._ She thought and looked at her hands.

"Well, this sounds like you had some tough days...Was that really everything, you wanted me to know?"

 _Dammit...!_

"Yeah...There is nothing more...Trust me, when the time comes, I'll tell you everything, Dante."

"I do trust you, Zhalia. That's not the point. I just don't want you to carry the burden all by yourself, you know?" He said and put a hand on her shoulder.

"This is nice of you, but it's better, if I keep it secret for now. For yours and the team's safety." She answered and locked eyes with him.

For a moment, he simply started in the abyss of her beautiful hazel eyes, before saying "Do you want to stay here?"

Her eyes widened for the split of a second.

"If you don't mind, yes!"

"Good. You can have the restroom on the second floor." He said happily.

She nodded and stood up.

"It's late. I better go to bed." She said and walked to the stairs.

He agreed and followed her up, switching the light off.

After Zhalia brushed her teeth and went to her bedroom, Dante silently followed her.

Leaning against the doorframe of her bedroom, he said "Zhalia...I know, you like to keep things for yourself, but please, don't keep things from me, okay?"

She smiled a little bit and came towards him.

"I know, Dante. Just this once."

He sighed in defeat, but then cupped her face and placed a tender kiss on her forehead.

Her eyes widened and she froze, but didn't make any attempts to reject him.

"Sleep well!" He said and left to go to his own room.

When he laid into his bed, millions of thought ran through his mind.

 _What was that ring on her finger?_ He asked himself and then fell asleep.

* * *

 **So, this was it. I know, I know...it wasn't interesting and didn't held much information...but I needed to make it and the next won't take as long as this one...hope you still like it and please, please review!**


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